Jack Campbell, who lost a bid last year to become Sangamon County sheriff, has been tabbed by the state Department of Agriculture to run the agency’s Bureau of Medicinal Plants, the office tasked with enforcing state laws and regulations pertaining to medical marijuana growers.
Campbell, who remains employed by the sheriff’s office as a sergeant, started his new duties last month under a contract with the state that pays him $45 per hour, according to Rebecca Clark, spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture.
“The integrity of the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program (MCCP) is among the department’s highest priorities,” Clark wrote in an email to Illinois Times. “The integrity of the MCCP is dependent upon ensuring the program is implemented following the letter of the law and with professionalism. Jack Campbell’s 20-plus years of experience as a respected member in law enforcement make him a strong, honest and credible regulatory force.”
Campbell could not be reached for comment.
Under the state’s medical marijuana pilot program, the state will have as many as 22 cultivation centers. Regulations governing the centers cover everything from proper waste disposal to background checks for employees to processing procedures for edible marijuana products to labeling requirements for pot.
Campbell, who lost the 2014 Republican primary for sheriff, ran the sheriff department’s day-to-day operations as undersheriff prior to the election of Wes Barr as sheriff last year. After Barr took office, Campbell was demoted to lieutenant. Former sheriff Neil Williamson, who had groomed Campbell to become the next sheriff, said that Campell subsequently asked to be demoted to sergeant and work a swing shift to allow him time to take on the state job.
Although the state’s medical marijuana program is scheduled to sunset after 2017, legislators have pushed for the program to be extended. Licenses were awarded to cultivation centers early this year, and the first legal marijuana sales in the state are expected by year’s end.
Williamson predicted success for Campbell.
“He’s going to be in charge of a program that’s going to come under the spotlight a lot in the next year or two,” Williamson said. “I kind of brought Jack in and groomed him – brought him up to run the (sheriff’s) department. … Jack is a professional. He’s going to take this thing and make something of it.”
Barr could not be reached for comment. But Brian McFadden, county administrator, said that he has met with the sheriff about Campbell’s new employment and that Barr told him that the outside work comports with department policies on secondary employment.
“He (Barr) felt that Jack was a professional and that this would not in any way interfere with his employment with the sheriff’s office,” McFadden said.
Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Jul 16-22, 2015.
